If You've Never Taken A Timed LSAT Practice Test...

If you've never taken a timed LSAT practice test, and the LSAT's only a week away, what do you do?

LSAT Blog reader Caleb improved from 161 to 171 on his LSAT retake. (He shared his entertaining story in his LSAT Diary.)

He offered some advice to a blog reader who had never taken a timed practice test with only a week remaining before Test Day. I thought it was worth sharing with everyone.

Caleb's LSAT Advice:

Let's assume, for the sake of argument (you don't mind that, do you?), that you possess inherent sharpness and that you're probably going to have a good base score (say 160+).

Look up the schools that might work for you and figure out what their 75th percentile LSAT score is (to be safe). If it's in the 160 ballpark and you just want acceptance, then go ahead- get 'er done and get your application in early.

If, however, you want a more competitive law school (which in these days you should) and want to boost your score up in the 170+ range, it's going to take some time. Push it (and let's be honest- you're probably not going to have all the application shit done anyway. You sound like a procrastinator).

What I would do, in your shoes, is marry the two ideas. Take a practice test every day (take the day before the test off of studying), and BUST ASS going over every question you miss and WHY. In your free time, scour the internet for great sites (like this one) that can help identify patterns and strategies for scoring high on the test.

Then take it next week.

If you're not happy with your score, do it again. If you score a shit-ton higher and are worried that a school would ask why, just have some sort of "I was busy dealing with my serious medical condition" excuse ready and they'll more genuinely accept your second score. [Note: the recipient of Caleb's advice actually had a serious medical condition.]

"Yeah, Caleb, but it costs MONEY to take it again! Money that, as you've read, I DON'T HAVE!"

True. That, milady, is your motivation this next week to really study and get a good score.

Let me emphasize to you that time spent studying does not correlate to increase in test score. Quality of time spent studying does. It's better to spend 10 minutes picking apart a single argument example or logic game than to plow through many examples without learning anything with each error.

That being said, how about another alternative? Just do law, and do it proper. As you spend time with the LSAT you'll start to realize that you CAN score 175-180, IF you just devote enough time and mental energy to it. With a score like that, you can get into any school you want and make a career as a distinguished and well-compensated attorney. With six-figures rolling in every year, your prior troubles with med bills and school debt will seem laughable.

Or, you know, like help poor people or the public or some shit. (lame).


Photo by bdorfman